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Media harming children's values, says minister

Updated
Tue 5 Aug 2008, 6:00 PM AEST

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Jane Lomax-Smith blames media for youth violence

ABC News

South Australia's Education Minister Jane Lomax-Smith says a violent fight between two girls at a railway station last week highlights a worrying trend of young females' involvement in violence and crime.

The fight at Evanston railway station in Adelaide's north was captured on video by another person and posted on the internet.

It is being investigated by police.

Dr Lomax-Smith says the recording and posting shows that children's values are being damaged by television programs and other media.

"I think we have to recognise that giving children the capacity to record incidents sometimes encourages them to either provoke violence or to record or encourage some acting," she said.

"In this case it was absolutely the real thing and appears extremely unpleasant and I have to say like everyone else I was appalled."